Ah, the humble pizza delivery guy — bringing hot cheese and sweet satisfaction to the door for Americans everywhere. But lest you think it’s a dead-end job or something for pimply teenagers just to make some extra cash, Domino’s would beg to differ. The company says about 90% of its franchise owners either started out as deliverymen or in similar entry level positions.

One franchise owner who started at 19 as a delivery guy 25 years ago now owns 18 of the chain’s franchises, reports CNNMoney. What started out as the kind of job where you’ve got nothing else to do has now become his life.

“I was 19, not in college and looking for money,” he said. “I worked my way up the Domino’s system. That’s the American dream.”

The company says about 4,500 of the chain’s U.S. locations are run by franchisees, while it operates about 400. For workers who want to go beyond rattling around in used cars and grabbing tips here and there, a Domino’s spokesman says managers are eligible for special training called franchise management after they’ve worked at the job for a year.

So keep the faith, pizza delivery people. You don’t have to be stuck on that route forever.

The Domino’s Pizza dream: Deliveryman to store owner [CNNMoney]

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